Nova Scotia hopes to become a world leader in tidal technology, writes The Global and Mail.
Even though Nova Scotia has one of the most powerful tidal currents in the world, tidal development is moving at a very slow pace.
In order to speed up the process Ottawa, Nova Scotia, Encana Corp. and several tidal technology companies formed the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE), which sits near a huge inlet of the Bay of Fundy.
FORCE’s main plan is to become a key centre of tidal power research.
In terms of tidal energy, FORCE communications manager Matt Lumley said: “We are sitting on the top of Everest.”
Three out of four berths are rented, but neither of the power developers is deploying any tidal generators.
The center expects to see deployment of the tidal turbines in the Bay of Fundy by 2015.
Richard Karsten, a mathematics professor at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S. calculated that the Bay of Fundy could host hundreds of tidal turbines which could generate around 2.5GW of electricity, enough to power a million homes.
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Offshore WIND staff, August 27, 2013; Image: fundyforce